


Dark Side of the Moon

by SonicaSpeed123



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Black Arms (Sonic the Hedgehog) - Freeform, Body Horror, Cannibalism, Crush, Dark Arms Shadow, Gen, Gore, Graphic Description, Hive Mind, Im calling it cannibalism even though technically they arent eating their own species, Im uprooting these characters in favor of d r a m a, M/M, Mind Reading, Mutual Pining, Mutual Pining with a sad ending, Partial Mind Control, Sad Ending, Shadow has a crush on Sonic, Shadow has an identity crisis and goes through alien puberty, Unreliable Narrator, black arms shadow, but people ARE being eaten, fuck canon all my homies hate canon, so the game shadow the hedgehog hasnt occurred in this au, this is shadows first encounter with the black arms, well i suppose it depends on who youre rooting for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:34:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27101290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicaSpeed123/pseuds/SonicaSpeed123
Summary: Shadow wakes up on the Black Comet, completely surrounded by strange aliens that call themselves the "Black Arms".For some reason, Shadow finds himself wanting to know more about them.Why do they- and this place- feel so familiar..?
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog & Eclipse the Darkling, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 24
Kudos: 57





	1. Omnispective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Om`ni`spec´tive  
> adjective  
> Beholding everything; capable of seeing all things; all-seeing.

Shadow’s head was filled with cotton. His mouth was dry. The ground was hard and cold underneath him. Where was he..? 

He opened his eyes and pushed off the ground to sit up. He seemed to be in some sort of cave- the walls and floor were stone, and large boulders were dotting the floor space. The cavern was dark, but not pitch black. The light seemed to be coming from behind him.

Not wanting to waste any time, Shadow stood and turned towards the source of the light. The cave narrowed to the size of a large doorway. As far as he could tell, there was no other way out of the room he was currently in, so he crept over to the door. He intended to stay out of sight, so he pressed his back against the wall-

The moment he made contact with the wall, his train of thought screeched to a halt. The fuzz in his head clouded his vision and made him dizzy. He leaned harder into the wall for support. He felt something intrude into his headspace, and he could suddenly… sense the layout of the next few rooms. He could also feel the presence of something… alive.

He tried to focus harder on the presence. It was several rooms away, so he wasn’t too worried about being noticed-

Suddenly, the presence saw him. He froze uncharacteristically as the creature sensed him just as he had been doing moments ago. He was prone, mentally, and unable to hide. To his surprise, the presence didn’t attack. It didn’t even seem to move from the room it was in. It simply… looked right back at him. Stared through him. 

Shadow jerked away from the wall and ran in the opposite direction, down a twisting hallway that was only slightly better lit than the cavern he awoke in. He hadn’t sensed any other creatures, and the layout of the rooms matched up with what he had seen. Before long, though, the mental map ran out.

He ducked into a side room, filled with what seemed to be advanced lab equipment unlike anything he’d seen before. Nearly alien in nature. He didn’t have time to be exploring science labs. He had to escape.

He pressed his hand to the wall again, and was luckily able to sense the next few rooms again. Unfortunately, there were more creatures ahead this time- three of them, though they seemed to be tucked in different rooms. Hopefully, he could avoid them.

Removing his hand from the wall before the creatures could sense his own presence, he hurried back down the hall, which twisted in like a spiral. There was a room in the center of the spiral, he now knew, but it was anyone’s guess as to what was in there. Maybe an elevator?

He cursed himself as he reached the end of the hall and saw only a closed doorway. Perhaps back by that first creature, then? He turned and rocketed the way he came…

...Only to slam directly into one of the creatures he’d sensed earlier.

“Dammit.” he hurried to his feet. Perhaps they’d had time to sense him after all. Now all three creatures were blocking his path, and he had to take care of them quickly to avoid encountering any backup they might call.

The creatures were tall and hulking- though that was by his standards. At his stature, most things appeared that way. Objectively, though, these things were muscular. And definitely alien in origin. What would be the best combat approach in this situation?

He decided to stick with tradition and go for a roundhouse kick to the first one’s face. He rocketed forward, leapt up, wound back, and-

The creature grabbed his leg and slammed him into the floor.

This was  _ not _ his day.

He was being pinned to the floor by a massive hand. He had no leverage, so despite his great strength, his movement options were limited. Lucky for him, his powers didn’t have many limits.

“Chaos Control!” He felt the usual spark of energy build in his chest, but instead of whisking him away in a flash of green, the Chaos simply sputtered away pathetically.

Oh, come on, now.

“Chaos…”

<<Don’t bother.>> The words rang clearly through his head, not his ears. He jerked his head around to get a better look at his surroundings.

Coming down the hall was another creature- Likely the first one he’d ‘seen’ earlier. This one was shorter and built more like a Mobian, but still distinctly alien. Its thick skin was colored black and deep red, and it examined him with glowing yellow eyes. It slowly walked towards Shadow, who sneered at it.

The creature crouched down and frowned at Shadow- almost disappointedly. It reached for Shadow’s forehead, and he attempted to wrestle his way from under the behemoth’s hand once more. It was futile, though, and the smaller alien’s thumb was set right above Shadow’s brow.

He froze up once more as he felt another intrusion- Like when this creature had sensed his presence before, but this one was much more invasive. He felt the alien looking deep into him, with more than just it’s glowing eyes. Unable to do much else, he tried to close off his mind. When that got him nowhere, he tried looking at the thing rifling through his head. Somehow, he managed to wrench a name from this odd connection. “Eclipse.”

The moment he’d realized Eclipse’s name, the thumb was removed from his head.

<<You  _ do _ have a connection! I’d thought so! This is wonderful!>> Eclipse beamed, their thoughts echoing between Shadow’s ears.

“Release me!”

<<No, you’re just going to hurt someone, Shadow.>> The way this thing ‘spoke’ without moving their lips was off-putting. Shadow wasn’t surprised that Eclipse had gathered his name from looking into his head, but he  _ was _ furious about it.

“How did you disable my Chaos Control?! What is this place?!”

<<It’s complicated. I’d be happy to tell you, but you’re going to have to listen to me, okay? That means no fighting.>>

Shadow was in a bad position. Trapped with no Chaos Control and no knowledge of an escape route, or even where he was. Outnumbered by telepathic behemoths. He didn’t exactly have many cards to play.

He opened his mouth to respond, but Eclipse’s thoughts cut him off. <<Wonderful!>> They turned to the creature holding Shadow down. <<Release him, please.>> Eclipse sat down as the behemoth lifted its hand up. Shadow grumbled and sat up, cracking his now stiff neck.

<<We are the Black Arms! We’re a colony living on the Black Comet, currently headed toward the moon of Mobius. We’re hoping to set up a space for our colony there.>>

Shadow was honestly surprised at the alien’s straightforwardness.

Where had he heard that name before? “Black Arms”?

<<And you were created using Black Arms DNA. It was in the files for Project Shadow, wasn’t it?>>

“Don’t read my thoughts,” he snapped. That did sound right, though. It would explain his strange new sense.

<<Sorry. I can’t really help it, the hivemind doesn’t exactly pick-and-choose which thoughts we share.>>

“ _ Hivemind? _ ”

<<Yes, we have a hivemind! You’ve accessed it a few times already.>>

Oh. When he sensed the others’ presences, he was accessing a  _ hivemind _ ?

<<Yep. Seems like you can’t hear the others, though, huh?>>

“...No..?” Did he  _ want _ to be able to hear the others?

<<Sure you do! If your connection to the hivemind is limited, getting around the Comet isn’t going to be very easy. I’ve been projecting my thoughts to you on purpose, but everyone usually just uses the hivemind itself to communicate.>>

Shadow hesitated to speak, though it didn’t make much of a difference since Eclipse was a damn telepath.

<<I know it  _ sounds _ scary, but it’s natural to the Black Arms. I could try to get you connected more strongly, if you want. You won’t have to touch the walls to feel the layout of the place. And your head will be clearer.>>

“My head will be  _ clearer _ with hundreds of voices in it?”

<<Tens. There’s not that many of us left…>> Eclipse looked downtrodden.

Only tens of the Black Arms were left?

He supposed that wasn’t that many. And he had to admit he was curious about what he could do with a connection to a hivemind- an extension of his natural abilities. Eclipse could already hear all of his thoughts, so joining the hivemind completely would only give him access to more information. Not much to lose, right? And these people were his family, technically...

<<...Is that a ‘yes’?>>

“...Okay. Fine.”

<<Yay! Awesome! Okay, here->> Eclipse leaned forward quickly and placed their thumb back above Shadow’s brow. They closed their eyes and focused. Shadow wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to be doing, so he closed his eyes as well.

He felt a small ache under Eclipse’s thumb, and it grew more painful by the second. Just when Shadow was about to move away, something in the back of his mind changed. Gates were opened.

Thoughts flooded in. Not just thoughts- senses. Experiences. He was the scientist in the lab two floors down. He was the drone carrying supplies from the cargo hold. He was the guard standing right next to himself, who had just pinned Shadow down minutes ago. He was Eclipse. He was Shadow.

_ He was the Black Arms. _


	2. Omniscient

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> om·nis·cient  
> adjective  
> Knowing everything.

Shadow reeled backwards and grasped his aching head, trying to find a mental breath that wasn't filled with the thoughts of others.

<<Just give it some time, it's just overwhelming at first. You'll get better at ignoring most of it.>> Eclipse's words rang a bit clearer than everything else- perhaps due to their proximity. Shadow was a bit grateful for that.

When he removed his hands from his forehead, Eclipse smiled, and Shadow felt excitement bloom across the hivemind.

<<What is it?>> he thought.

<<You look good!>>

_ Different. _

Different how? Shadow reached into the hivemind to figure out what Eclipse wasn't directly 'saying'. To his surprise, he managed to access their vision, and he was able to see himself reflected like a mirror.

He was shocked to see himself with a new eye in the middle of his forehead, right where Eclipse had planted their thumb. It's sclera was golden, with a blood-red iris. The pupil was slit like a cat's eye. Like Eclipse's eyes.

<"What did you do-!?"> he spoke and thought at the same time, in a slight panic. He felt his own outburst echo across the hivemind for a few moments.

<<You've always had it, Shadow. I just opened it for you.>> They were calm, and the hivemind sent reassurances to him from every direction.  _ It’s okay _ .

Was that true? Had he just never noticed it before?

<<I'm not hiding anything from you. I can't! You can read my thoughts, too, now. That's one of the great things about a hivemind. No lies.>>

He hadn't tried that, yet. He was still getting his bearings. When he focused on Eclipse's emotions, he felt that they were genuinely ecstatic. But their feelings were underlined with something else-- that all-too-familiar loneliness.

_ It had been so long since they'd had a new friend. And just as long since they'd had any new Black Arms. This was wonderful. Their purpose was finally being fulfilled. _

<<Purpose?>> Shadow snapped himself out of Eclipse's train of thought.

<<I was created to raise and protect the new generation of Black Arms. I'm kind of like you, in a sense. Made for one thing.>>

<<You're different. From the others.>> The other Black Arms were exchanging simple orders, perhaps greetings occasionally. Eclipse was more, somehow.

_ Artificial. _ They both thought at the same time.

<"Like me."> Shadow blinked. No one had ever been like him.

_ No one had ever been like the two of them. _

<<What was your purpose?>> Eclipse asked.

Protect Mobius.

Become the ultimate weapon.

Cure all illness.

...He wasn’t sure which one. Maybe it was a bit of all three. The only one who could tell him was long dead now.

Eclipse frowned. <<Not knowing your purpose… How horrifying! You don’t have to worry about that in the Black Arms.>>

_ The spawn. _ Shadow was pretty sure that thought had come from Eclipse.

<<Do you want to see them?>> With the enthusiasm they exuded, Shadow had to admit he was a bit interested in the new generation of the Black Arms. Eclipse smiled widely as they stood up. They held their hand out to help Shadow up. He didn’t hesitate to take it.

Shadow was relieved to find he knew the route to the Nursery.

<<You seem surprised.>> The two started down the hall towards the closed door.

<<I’m just glad I know where I’m going.>> It made him feel much safer here.

This time, when Shadow approached the door, it opened effortlessly. The next room was as Shadow expected it to be- the floor was flat and smooth, and the walls were teeming with a harmonious mixture of the Black Arms’ technology and the natural fungus that held the Black Comet together. Shadow now understood the beauty of the Black Comet- the way all of this technology and innovation was held together and connected by something so natural and primal. The fungus connected the whole ship, and the Black Arms could even use it for transport.

He hoped he’d be able to, as well.

<<Don’t worry. You’re one of us,>> Eclipse smiled, <<You’ll be able to use it, too.>>

The warmth Shadow felt at that reassurance was… odd, but his worries were soothed, nonetheless. He even found himself smiling a little.

Eclipse pressed themself against the fuzzy part of the wall and was swallowed up by the fungus. When their form was no longer visible, Shadow stepped forward as well. Using his newfound connection to the hivemind- and therefore, the Comet itself- he directed the fungus to carry him to the Nursery. It was eerily simple for him.

Being surrounded by the more natural component of the Black Comet was actually rather calming for Shadow. With his other senses drowned out, he was lulled into a near sleep by the white noise of the other Black Arms in his mind and the warmth of the fungus itself. If not for his arrival at the Nursery, he may have forgotten what he was doing completely.

He emerged into the dark, warm, humid Nursery only seconds behind Eclipse. Shadow’s eyes… all three… quickly adjusted to the low light. Eclipse’s form was dimly lit by glowing gel, which held the dozens of ova to the floor and walls securely. Curiously, the gel’s color shifted between several hues. Shadow looked around the room. There were no other entrances to this sanctum. 

_ Good, then no one besides the Black Arms could get close to the spawn. They were as safe as could be here. _

Eclipse wandered over to one of the ovum- which came to about their mid-torso- and placed their hand on it. Their pride and protective instinct flooded Shadow’s emotions, washing away his train of thought.

<”They’re beautiful,”> he stated simply.

<<They’ll be hatching soon,>> Eclipse’s mood suddenly turned to helplessness, bringing Shadow’s with it. <<And when they do, they’ll be hungry.>>

_ We don’t have enough food. We barely have enough for all of us as is. _

Shadow managed to break out of the despondency for a few moments to offer an idea- <<We’re above Mobius. There’s more than enough food there for everyone.>>

<<There’s not enough of us to hunt. We’re too weak…>>

Shadow couldn’t stand the thought of these people dying out just as he discovered his connection to them. He couldn’t stand the thought of the spawn dying out before even getting a chance to live.

<<I’ll help you.>>

For the first time since Shadow had met them, Eclipse was shocked. <<Really? You’ll do that for us? Even though we eat..?>>

_ People. _

_ Well, it isn’t like we have much of a choice. _

_ It’s our biology. We can’t live on anything else. _

_ Should we all die because of something we can’t control? _

<”Of course not.”> Shadow shook his head, batting the extra thoughts away. <<You need to eat. I won’t let my only remaining family die on me when there’s something I can do.>>

At the thought of “family”, the entire hivemind lit up with joy.

_ Family..! That’s right! _

_ We’re all family! _

_ Shadow is our brother! _

Shadow anticipated Eclipse’s hug and opened his arms for them. Their gratefulness made tears well up in his lower two eyes.

<<Thank you, Shadow. I’m so glad we found you.>>

He couldn’t help but smile.

<<Me too.>>


	3. Omnibenevolent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> om·ni·be·nev·o·lent  
> adjective  
> (Of a deity) Possessing perfect or unlimited goodness.

The Black Comet touched down in a field several miles from Empire City. Shadow left the ship alone in body, but the entirety of the Black Arms were with him in the hivemind.

<<Stay hidden. Humans tend to shoot first and ask questions later.>> Despite his best efforts, flashes of nightmarish memories resurfaced in him, and by extension, the rest of the Black Arms.

_ It’s okay. That is in the past, now. You are strong. _

_ We will hide. Be safe. _

The encouragement made him feel tender. He looked back at the Black Comet and smiled one more time before rocketing off towards the capital city.

With some effort, he managed to close his third eye. He wanted to avoid drawing any extra attention. It took a bit of focus to keep just one eye closed like this, but he would be sure to stick out even more than usual if he didn’t.

Empire City was a bit larger than Station Square, which he was a little more familiar with, but there was a higher concentration of Mobians living there. He would blend in a bit better with the crowds. He was still the black and red embodiment of doom and gloom, but Empire City was such a bustling place that he could hope to slip under the radar, for the most part.

Now he just needed a plan for when he actually got there.

The sun was setting now, thankfully. In a few hours, he’d be able to find drunk patrons leaving the bars and nightclubs of the city. If he was lucky, he’d find one isolated in an alley or something.

-Fuck, was he seriously going to do this? Was he actually planning to kill someone? What was he thinking!?

The hivemind’s hunger cried out to him. If they didn’t eat, they would die. The only people who understood him would be gone.

He had a few hours to figure this out. There had to be something he could do, here.

He arrived in the downtown metropolis soon after the sky had darkened completely. He wandered from street to street, concealing his high-strung tension as best he could.

After some time, he found himself in Chun-nantown, of all places. At this point, he could hardly tell if his hunger was from his own body or if it was remnants of the hivemind. Either way, the smell of authentic Chunnish cuisine was putting some strain on his composure. If only he’d had some money on him.

A familiar voice and laugh broke his focus for a moment.

“No way- Shadow!?” Sonic darted from behind him with an enthusiastic bounce in his motion. “Long time no see! What’cha doing here, man?”

“Looking for something to eat,” he deftly omitted certain truths, “But it seems I’ve forgotten my wallet.”

“Aw, bummer! I can get you something; you shouldn’t go hungry!”

“I would appreciate that.”

“No problem! Pick anything you want!”

_ Would Sonic help us? He is so nice. You could ask him- _

<<No. Sonic would not understand. I will eat, then I will find food for you all.>>

Shadow followed Sonic to the nearest food stand and ordered some pork baozi. Sonic paid for the dish and waited next to Shadow for it to be served. He bounced in place, not necessarily out of impatience, but more out of the need to keep moving.

“Where have you been, man? You kinda fell off the radar for a bit.”

“Around.” Shadow felt compelled to offer a bit more than usual, “Finding myself.”

“Ahh.” Sonic grinned and did that stupidly endearing nose flick of his. “I hear ya. Y’should call Rouge at some point, she was worried about ya.”

He should. How would he tell either of them about what had happened? He was grateful that Sonic didn’t push the question about where he had been.

The woman running the food stand set Shadow’s order on the counter. “Pork baozi?”

Shadow stepped forward and took it. “Thank you.”

“Xièxiè~!” Sonic called to the woman in a poor accent. She giggled and waved back to him happily.

“Biè kéqì!”

When Shadow returned to Sonic’s side, he leaned closer to Shadow and whispered, without dropping his smile, “I have no idea what that means.”

Cute.

The two of them walked down the street as Shadow ate. Sonic rambled about recent events in his own life. Whether he could tell Shadow didn’t want to talk about his own or not he wasn’t sure, but he was happy for the small distraction.

Without any prompting, Shadow asked, “If you had to choose between saving one person or a whole group of people, what would you choose?”

The hivemind was confused. Shadow was confused. Why did he say that?

“Hum,” Sonic mused, “Seems pretty easy. The group of people. What’s the twist?”

Shadow blinked.

“Y’know, the twist. In these problems it’s usually, like, ‘Save one baby or five old people’, and then you gotta weigh your personal values or whatever. When it’s just ‘one person or lots of people’, it’s too obvious.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

The two were silent for a few moments. Shadow went back to eating, and Sonic whistled a tune he was clearly making up as he went along.

“Why are  _ you _ in Empire City?” he asked between mouthfuls.

“Seeing the sights,” he replied casually. With a glint of humor in his eyes, he added, “Finding myself.”

Shadow chuckled and rolled his eyes.

He nearly lost focus on his third eye for a moment. He shook his head and steeled himself.

_ Be more careful! _

“What’s up?” Sonic tilted his head.

“What time is it?”

“Ahm,” he paused to tap on the communicator strapped to his wrist, “Almost one a.m.”

Shadow frowned. “I’m sorry. I have to get going.” He pushed the last bun into Sonic’s hands. “Thank you for the food.”

“Oh.” Sonic blinked. “Okay, well, it was nice seein’ ya again!”

Shadow nodded, and as he turned away, Sonic added, “Don’t be a stranger, faker!”

He grimaced at the fluttering of his heart.

_ What is that feeling? _

<<...Love. A different kind than what we have.>>

_ Oh.  _ The others were very curious about this “different kind” of love. It was foreign to the Black Arms, who only had family.

<<I’m going to find food now.>>


	4. Omnipotent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> om·nip·o·tent  
> adjective  
> (Of a deity) Having unlimited power; able to do anything

Shadow had perched himself on a fire escape above a dark alley. From this position, he was able to see the entrance of a small, run-down looking bar. The last call was typically two a.m., though Shadow had to admit he didn’t know much about these establishments himself. He resigned himself to waiting for a while. He leaned back and opened his third eye, relaxing for a moment.

_ Tell us about that different kind of love you can feel. Why haven’t any of us felt it before? _

<<Romantic love and familial love don’t mix. Some other kinds of love do, though.>>

_ Like what? _

<<Platonic love. That’s friendship. You and I, Eclipse.>>

The flash of joy that spread through the hivemind made Shadow chuckle.

<<That kind of love does mix with familial love. You can be someone’s brother and their best friend.>> Sonic and his brother, Tails, came to mind.

_ Are there any other kinds of love? _

<<Many. I probably don’t know them all. Relationships can be very complicated.>>

_ We like simple. _

<<So do I. That’s why I can’t tell Sonic I like him… Romantically. It would make things very complicated.>>

_ Do romantic and platonic love not mix? _

<<No, they do, but… If you mess up romantic love for someone, they might not love you platonically anymore.>>

_ Very complicated. _

<<Yes. It’s… scary.>>

He indulged in the white noise of the other Black Arms once more. He enjoyed not being alone in his own head anymore. He used to be able to get himself into quite a panic, ruminating worst-case scenarios and intrusive thoughts on repeat for hours on end. But now, the other Black Arms would always step in and remind him that he was okay. It was just what he needed, really.

A group of three men left the bar across the street, hooting and hollering. They walked to the left of him and out of view. He needed someone alone. Shit, he was really going to do this, wasn’t he?

_ What would Sonic do? _

_ “Seems pretty easy… The group of people.” _

_ “When it’s just ‘one person or lots of people’, it’s too obvious.” _

Maybe Sonic was right. This hero stuff seemed to come so naturally to him. Everything was telling him this was the right thing to do, so why did he hesitate? Maybe he just didn’t know right from wrong on his own.

A woman’s scream pierced through the night. Shadow leapt up and clamored over to the next building, ran across the roof, and peered into the next alley. He saw the three drunk men from earlier, and a young woman being cornered.

Well, at least he didn’t have to worry about not knowing right from wrong.

He leapt down two stories and crashed between the woman and her assailants. He ignored the pain in his legs and spindashed into the three men, knocking the taller two to the ground. While they were prone, he grabbed the shirt of the man left standing and lifted him into the air. He turned to the woman and shouted, “Go!” before throwing him to the ground.

Despite her horror, she nodded and made a break for it. Once she’d rounded the corner, he turned his attention to the repulsive men at his feet.

“I was going to spare you bastards,” he grumbled, “But maybe I should thank you for making this decision so easy.”

The other two men were up by now, and the closer one charged at him. Shadow braced himself and pushed the stumbling man into a pile of trash bags. He heard the telltale sound of glass breaking under the large man’s weight.

The younger human seemed to gain some sense back as he attempted to back away, but Shadow was not going to let him escape. He quickly teleported behind him and kicked his head, sending it on a crash course with the asphalt.

Shadow summoned a Chaos Spear and threw the bolt towards the shortest man as his feet hit the ground, and was satisfied to hear a visceral sound as it burned through his victim’s body.

Then, the smell of blood hit him.

The hivemind’s hunger was instantly multiplied tenfold, but instead of crippling him, it strengthened his predatory instinct. His mind- Their mind- was abuzz with the thought of finally, finally eating, after all this time-!

Shadow’s claws ripped through the tips of his gloves, and he used them to tear at the two still breathing prey. When he was finished, the men were barely recognizable.

He sat back to catch his breath and slow his heart. He went to wipe the sweat from his muzzle- Oh. Had he been drooling?

Some of the blood was caught on his lips. It was incredible- fresh, and raw, and metallic. He could taste the alcohol in it. He licked at the tips of his fingers. After he had calmed down a bit, he examined the scene. He shook his head as he laughed, low and dark and strained.

<<Dinner’s ready.>>


	5. Omnivorous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Om·niv·o·rous  
> adjective  
> Taking in or using whatever is available.

He used Chaos Control to slowly move himself and the prey back to the Black Comet. His powers had a maximum range, so he took it in stages, staying out of sight until he could teleport to the inside of the ship. The anticipation was building in the hivemind so quickly he could barely stand it.

When he finally flashed into existence inside the Black Comet, he threw the bodies down and went to collapse against the wall. The others ravaged the prey, but still made sure that all of their brothers had gotten their fill. Shadow’s legs and shoulders ached like hell, but watching and feeling the Black Arms’ hunger being satiated made him feel better.

He took pride in seeing the others reap the fruits of his labor.

For several minutes, pure, natural, frenzied instincts drove the hivemind. It was simple. It was easy. It was right. Shadow indulged in the singular emotion- Satisfaction.

It was almost as delicious as that blood he had tasted.

After a bit of time, the hivemind calmed down some. It was like the collective took a deep breath and was gathering its’ bearings once more.

Eclipse approached him and sat against the wall with him. They held a piece of meat out to him.

<<I know you just ate, but you should try some. If you think blood was good, you’ll love the full meal.>>

Shadow took the meat without hesitation. The still-warm cut was rich and fatty and utterly dripping with blood. He was definitely drooling now, but he didn’t care. Using just his teeth, he tore off a large bite and savored the flavor and texture of it. It had everything the blood had to offer and more. It was unbelievably tender.

“Mmm-” he couldn’t help but vocalize, and Eclipse giggled in response.

<<You’ve saved us, Shadow. Thank you.>>

<<I don’t need any thanks,>> he thought as he took another bite. <<What will we do now?>>

<<The others will be strong enough to hunt again. They’ll bring home enough food to feed us and the spawn every day!>>

<<And you?>>

<<I’ll keep taking care of the spawn. I’m not fit to hunt; I was created to be a caretaker.>>

Did that mean Shadow was to be a hunter? He was ‘fit’ to hunt. He took great pride in feeding the others. He’d certainly enjoyed the violence near the end, there… But he’d struggled the whole time leading up to it with all his worrying about ethics. What good was he to the Black Arms if he kept having crises about hunting?

<<That’s why we’re here. You won’t have to hunt alone ever again, Shadow. Now that we’re strong again, you’ll always hunt together.>>

<<I wasn’t alone.>> He smiled tiredly.

Eclipse smiled back. <<You should rest, big brother. You’ve done more than enough for us.>>

His heart swelled with pride. <<I will. Thank you.>> Shadow stood and left the cafeteria. 

As he walked, he looked down at his hands. His gloves were more red than white now, and were starting to get… sticky. He removed and discarded them.

Had his claws gotten longer? Hm.

He pressed himself into the black fungus on the walls and let it swallow him up again. It was even more soothing this time, since he had nothing more to do but rest. As he floated in the warm, safe space, he began to fall asleep.

<<I love you all.>>

_ We love you, too. _

The moment that Shadow awoke, he felt odd. His legs still ached from yesterday, but so did the rest of his body, in a different way. It was as if his skin didn’t fit his frame properly anymore, tight and itchy all over. He shifted to scratch at his shoulders, which burned the most intensely.

He hissed in pain- Okay, his claws were  _ definitely _ sharper.

<<Eclipse?>>

<<Welcome back, Shadow!>> They were in the Nursery. Shadow emerged into the sanctum and stretched his shoulders out, wincing at the sting. Eclipse peeked out from behind one of the ovum at Shadow. <<That’s odd. Sore today?>>

<<Something is off.>>

<<When did it start?>>

He thought back to the day before. His legs hurt after jumping off that building, which made sense, but the discomfort in the rest of his body was different. It wasn’t from overexertion.

<<Maybe you should eat. The others are on their way back with food right now!>>

Now that he thought about it, he recognized small pangs of hunger from his own body.

He nodded and left for the cafeteria.

As he walked into the open room, he looked at his claws again. Not only were they longer, but on closer examination, they weren’t made of keratin anymore. His claws came to a sharp point, and they seemed to fuse into his fingers. The points were still hard, but they were now just an extension of his fingers instead of being attached to them.

_ Like ours! _

Yeah, they did look like the others’. Cool.

The hangar door opened, and three Black Arms hunters walked through, each carrying two bodies with them. When the musk of their blood reached Shadow, his mouth dropped open a bit as he licked his lips. He was hungrier than he thought.

He found himself gravitating towards the hunters, along with several other hungry Black Arms. Once the hangar door had closed, the hunters dropped their haul. Before the bodies even made contact with the floor, their dressings were removed and cast aside.

The Black Arms plunged their hands into flesh, bringing hot blood welling to the surface. Shadow lost all composure and decided to put his new claws to the test. Effortlessly, his razor-sharp fingertips slid through the meat like butter. He couldn’t wait another moment before bringing it to his mouth and devouring the warm flesh. This cut was marginally fattier than the one he’d had last night, and this one’s blood didn’t reek of alcohol.

Quickly, all thoughts of comparing the two samples left his mind as he finished wolfing down the first handful he’d gathered. He immediately dove back in for more, unable to pause for even a second.

When had the feeling of viscera between his fingers become an appetizing concept for him? Utterly, mind-numbingly appetizing…

He ate until the hivemind was satisfied, and not a drop of hunger could be felt among them. He leaned back and sighed.

God, he loved eating.

It had been a wonderful distraction from the incessant itch in his bones, for a while. Unfortunately, it hadn’t done much to soothe the feeling.

...In fact, it seemed worse now.

_ What’s wrong? Why are you hurting?  _

...Much worse.

The nearby Black Arms gathered around him.

<<I don’t know,>> he clutched at his stomach as he hunched over; leftover blood from his feast spattered onto the floor from his mouth. <<It just hurts-->>

He took a heaving breath- he started shaking as the pain spiked. His body became weak as  _ something _ ravaged him.

<<I want it to stop,>> he involuntarily sobbed, <<Why am I->>

“ _ Gah- _ !” There was an audible crack as his shoulders screamed in agony. He felt something change with them before the sharp burning intensified. His breath stuttered in his throat.

The hunger was back.

<<Food,>> he begged, <<Need more->>

This hunger was not of the hivemind- it was his own. Piercing, deep, agonizingly hollow hunger. He had just eaten, but he was empty and  _ starving. _

The others, who had felt his hunger, quickly pushed one of the prey closer to him. He desperately tore into it to fill the hole swallowing up his stomach. Even as he ate, the pain and shaking did not slow.

<<Shadow!>> Eclipse rushed towards him and crouched down, laying their hands on his back.

The moment Eclipse showed up, the pain completely dissolved, but something was still happening to him. He could feel his body changing, even if it didn't hurt like before.

And the hunger…

<<How did you stop the pain?>>

<<I'm blocking your Chaos powers. They were hurting you.>>

<<Thank you…>> He turned all of his focus to eating. If he didn't keep eating, he would die.

<<You're… changing.>>

<<I can feel it. What's happening?>>

_ You look like one of us. _

The hivemind was torn between concern and excitement as Shadow's body rapidly transformed before them.

Shadow grew several inches- not enough to put him over four feet, but noticeably taller than before. His shoulders gained spikes that were very reminiscent of those the other Black Arms had. His tail grew and curved, sharpening to a point similar to Eclipse's own tail.

After a few minutes, the changes simply stopped. Shadow fell backwards into Eclipse's arms. He had devoured over half of the prey presented to him.

<<What  _ was _ that?>> Shadow gasped for air.

<<Not sure. You look like a Black Arms now, though.>>

<<Why did my Chaos powers hurt me?>>

<<I think it was resisting the change. Trying to fight your natural state.>>

<<...How did you block it?>>

<<I've always been able to. I have the same proficiency with Chaos that you do.>>

Shadow remembered when he'd first arrived on the Comet, and he was unable to use Chaos Control.

<<I'm sorry; I didn't want you getting away.>>

<<It's fine. You were right, I would've hurt someone.>>

<<...How do you feel?>>

Shadow sat up on his own and looked at his tail, which was now long enough to curl around to the front of his body.

<<...Much better, now. Natural.>> He smiled. Now that the transformation was complete and the pain had fully faded, he was much more relaxed. <<Like this is what I was always meant to be.>>


	6. Omnishambles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Om·ni·sham·bles  
> noun  
> A situation which has been completely mismanaged.

Weeks passed, though Shadow barely noticed it. He was far too occupied with all of the duties that came with being a member of the colony.

He hunted to feed the others. He ate with the others. He maintained the Black Comet like the others did. He helped take care of the spawn, which was due to hatch soon.

The anticipation in the hivemind was electric. This new generation- The Dark Arms, as they’d been affectionately nicknamed- was scientifically enhanced. More evolved. They would be darklings, like Eclipse and Shadow, with new abilities. They would be the strongest Black Arms to date.

Well, aside from the other two darklings. They were special cases- experimental. Despite the immeasurable differences between them and the rest of the colony, the Black Arms had welcomed them as members of their ever-growing family. Now it was nearly time for new arrivals.

Shadow was uncharacteristically giddy as the grand occasion rapidly approached. Any day now. More people just like him. Children to care for.

The past several weeks seemed to bleed together. Shadow no longer only slept in the night, simply when his body was tired. Every waking moment was spent working, hunting, maintaining. Eating. He loved eating. Why had he been so hesitant to hunt before? How had he never thought to hunt before he met the Black Arms? It seemed so obviously right and wonderful now. He supposed it hardly mattered. He was content to pour his entire being into serving the colony, now that he was exactly where he belonged. Every moment filled him with pride and the sense of purpose he’d been lacking for so long.

He was preparing to leave the Black Comet to hunt when it happened.

Pain tore through him from the Comet itself- But how? Someone was  _ hurting _ the Comet? Why? How could anyone hurt it? It was so beautiful, and perfect, and natural! What kind of monster would-

_ Intruder. Danger. Help. _

The words echoed and overlapped as Shadow staggered to his feet, his anxiety spiking quickly. <<Where?>>

He felt the other Black Arms converging towards the cafeteria and followed suit, pushing through the panic taking hold in their hivemind. He couldn’t hear his own thoughts, completely overwhelmed by the cries for help.

_ Protect the colony. Protect the Comet. Protect the spawn. _

He arrived quickly, before most of the other Black Arms.

The far wall of the cafeteria had a large hole punched through it, the blazing light from the outside world leaking into the Comet’s dark sanctuary. Shadow felt unbearably vulnerable at the sight.

He hurried into the fight, ready to subdue their intruder before they could hurt the Black Arms any more. Despite the blinding daylight, he spotted the stranger’s unfamiliar silhouette and slashed at it. Impossibly, the intruder darted faster than him and avoided his claws. How was this creature so fast-?

_ Sonic. _

He turned to Shadow and froze momentarily, scanning his face. Did he recognize him?

<<Don’t attack. I can get him to stop.>>

The other Black Arms were skeptical, but allowed Shadow to step closer to Sonic.

A look of horror dawned on Sonic’s face, twisting Shadow’s stomach.

“ _ Shadow _ ? What-?” He looked around at the other Black Arms, clearly surprised they had stopped moving against him. His gaze came back to stare at Shadow’s third eye. “What happened to you? Why are you with these monsters?”

Shadow frowned, confused. <<Monsters?>>

Sonic took a step backwards and tensed up again, “Shadow.” The pained look on his face cut deep into the darkling. “Say something.”

Oh. Of course. He couldn’t hear his thoughts. He wasn’t a part of the hivemind.

He cleared his throat and tried to speak, his voice coming out rough and mangled from disuse. “We’re not monsters.”

Sonic’s eyes widened. “People have been going missing for weeks. These…  _ things _ are kidnapping people.”

Shadow blinked. “Hunting. Not kidnapping.”

He recoiled in disgust. “You  _ knew _ about it?”

“We need to eat. Humans have a unique protein which we need to survive. It’s simply biology.”

His face took on a quizzical look. “That’s bullshit, I’ve seen you eat real food. The last time I saw you!”

“That was before I found myself.”

Sonic was quiet for an agonizingly long moment.

“Holy shit, you’re brainwashed.”

Shadow felt physically weak. Of course he didn’t understand. “No, the hivemind can’t brainwash people. It just connects us.”

“ _ Hivemind?! _ ”

“I’m not brainwashed,” he stated as calmly as he could manage, “This is who I am supposed to be.”

Sonic looked hurt. He shook his head and muttered. “No. No.”

“I’m happy here, Sonic.” He took another step towards Sonic. With his new height, he had to look down to make eye contact with him. “We aren’t evil. We’re just surviving.”

Tears welled in Sonic’s eyes and he pointed an accusing finger at Shadow. “If ‘just surviving’ means they have to kill innocent people, maybe they should all be dead!” The words were spat like venom.

Shadow was stunned. “You told me to do this. To sacrifice one person to save many others. That’s all we’ve been doing.”

“Is that- Is  _ that _ why you asked?! That’s not the same thing! This is  _ murder _ !”

“We’re just surviving,” he repeated. Never mind that he took great pleasure in hunting. Sonic didn’t need to know that.

Sonic whipped around and started pacing, eyes turned down to the floor. He was clearly distressed.

“How long? How long have you been with them?”

“...Since the day we met in Empire City.”

“Holy shit. I’m gonna be sick. I was gonna tell you that day.”

“Tell me… what?”

Sonic stopped and made eye contact with Shadow, agony written on his expression.

“That I loved you.”

Shadow’s heart nearly stopped. Moments passed before he could respond.

“I love you, too.”

Sonic laughed darkly, and tears finally ran down his muzzle.

“You can’t accept me like this, can you?” Shadow said grimly.

“You’re fucking kidding. Of course not!” Sonic shouted, exasperated.

His heart sunk.

“Shadow. You don’t have to do this. You can come home.”

A choice was being presented to him. The one he loved, or his family.

The choice was almost too easy.

“I  _ am _ home.”

Sonic’s expression hardened. “Fine. Fine! If you want to be one of them, we’ll treat you like one of them!”

Shadow braced himself for an attack, but to his surprise, Sonic walked towards the wound in the Comet’s wall. Sonic looked back at Shadow one last time before disappearing in his trademark blue blur.


	7. Unica

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> U·ni·ca  
> noun, plural  
> Things that are unique in their kind.

Shadow knew the time would come to face Sonic again. He would not be alone next time, and it wouldn't be a pleasant conversation by any stretch of the imagination.

How would he be able to hurt the person he loved so much? Who loved him back?

_ He rejected who you are. Did he ever truly love you? Maybe he loved who he thought you were, but  _ this  _ is who you are. If he really loved you, he'd love you now, too. _

Yes. Love was acceptance. Sonic didn't accept him; even told him so, in no uncertain terms. If Sonic didn't accept him, he didn't truly love him.

A simple, logical line of thought. An easier pill to swallow than the idea that he might have ruined his chance forever.

It wasn't his fault.

Sonic had crushed  _ him _ , not the other way around.

Besides, in the bigger picture, neither Sonic's nor Shadow's feelings mattered. The hivemind was overall unaffected by this. Romantic feelings and heartbreak were utterly unfamiliar to the rest of the Black Arms. It held little impact to them. The hivemind would be fine. And Shadow had succeeded in keeping Sonic from hurting anyone else. In the grand scheme of things, Shadow had done well. In time, his pesky grief would leave him, and he'd go back to living only for the colony again.

He had much more important things to worry about than some boy.

The Comet had already begun to heal itself. The black fungus was building around the hole, eventually covering it thinly. A scab was forming, essentially. It required a little extra maintenance and a more careful touch, but things could have been much worse. Shadow was grateful.

And the spawn would hatch any day now. He couldn't be upset with their arrival to look forward to.

...Sonic didn't understand the joy of being a part of something bigger. He'd never understood that. He'd always regarded the Mobian as being good no matter what anyone else thought, even if it alienated him from other people, but now Shadow was starting to see him as he truly was. Selfish.

Shadow wished he could stop thinking about him so damn much. He wasn't worth the time.

<<Shadow! Come to the Nursery!>> Eclipse's call snapped Shadow out of his own selfish thoughts. The utter elation that flooded their mind told Shadow exactly what was happening.

_ They're here. _

Shadow made it to the Nursery in record time, his heart pounding and hands shaking. Finally.

Eclipse was crouched low to the ground, hovering above one of the ova. The infant darkling inside shifted and poked through the leathery shell with their tiny claws. Immediately, the claws retreated back inside the shell when they made contact with the outer layer of gel adhering the ova to the floor.

_ Cold!  _ They squeaked as they projected their first independent thought out to the hivemind.

The tiny sound brought Shadow to his knees, quite literally. Eclipse laughed quietly and pushed some of the gel away from the opening the hatchling was making.

<<You can do it, little one. Come on out.>> Eclipse’s encouragement was warm and gentle.

<<We love you so much already.>> Tears of joy welled up in Shadow’s eyes.

The child tried to cut through the shell again and made much more progress. They made the hole large enough to peek out at the two darklings with a large golden eye. Eclipse reached down and carefully pulled apart the shell, revealing their deep violet markings. They leaned down further, wrapping their arms around the small one and pulling them close.

Once they were settled in Eclipse’s hold, they stared at Shadow curiously before reaching one hand towards him. He immediately offered his hand to the child, and they wrapped their tiny hand around his finger. His heart swelled with love and he beamed brightly. Picking up on his emotions, they mirrored his smile adorably.

<<Hello, little starlet. You were certainly worth the wait.>>

<<Starlet… What a lovely name!>>

Ah… He hadn’t intended to suggest a name. He simply recalled being called “starlet” at some point, long ago. Who would’ve called him that? His memory felt even fuzzier than a few weeks ago.

“Starlet” seemed like a fitting name.

_ Hungry. _ The child whined, curling into Eclipse’s chest.

<<I’ll bring food. You should stay and wait for the others to hatch.>>

<<Quickly, now. The others won't be far behind.>> Eclipse smiled.

Shadow was nearly dizzy with joy as he retrieved food for the newborns, but it was nothing compared to Eclipse's overpowering sense of fulfillment. No wonder why- this was literally their purpose. Their reason to exist. Shadow was endlessly grateful he was able to experience a fraction of Eclipse's consummation.

_ This joy is yours, too. It is all of ours. None of us would be alive if not for you. _

He was so lucky. Had he not been found by the others, he'd still be living his miserable little Mobian life. He wouldn't be here, witnessing the birth of a generation.

...Maybe he'd be with Sonic, instead.

Selfish. The hivemind had no use for thoughts like that. He had to focus.

It had been so easy to sink into this routine before that meeting with Sonic. Why was it so hard now? Why was he still thinking about that horrified look on his face? And that appalled tone of his voice? And the way he cowered slightly when he stepped closer to him?

Shit. The Dark Arms. Food. Right. How could he let himself be distracted by his own self-absorbed thoughts?

He hurried back towards the nursery with prey for the hatchlings.

<<Distracted?>>

<<I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me.>> Shadow placed the prey on the floor and started the first cut for the child. They were too weak to prepare the flesh themself.

<<It seems that romantic feelings have an intense impact on Mobians.>>

<<I'm no Mobian.>> Shadow bristled at the suggestion, <<I'm a Darkling.>>

<<You are both,>> Eclipse placed Starlet on the floor near the prey. They immediately took notice of the food and toddled over. <<And that is okay. Mobians have many abilities we do not. We have many abilities Mobians do not. You have the potential of both.>>

<<All I gain from my Mobanity is treacherous feelings. Distractions.>>

<<Not necessarily. You have the ability to form relationships with those outside of our hivemind. That could be very useful.>>

<<That's the problem, though. My focus is broken whenever I think of him.>> He finished cutting a small chunk of meat for the child and placed it in front of them. They didn't hesitate before picking it up and tearing into it. <<I just want to live for the colony. I shouldn't want anything else. I shouldn't want him so badly. It's selfish.>>

<<Well, what can be done about it?>>

Shadow always appreciated the way the others focused on solving the problem. It helped his anxiety quite a bit.

<<...I want him to understand. I don't want him to see us as... monsters.>>

<<If only he were like us…>>

The two darklings looked at each other as an idea formed between them. Shadow's tail twitched.

<<Is that even possible?>>

<<It's never been done, but…>>

Their thoughts were interrupted when another hatching shifted, before ripping their little claws through the shell with reckless abandon. Before the older darklings could react, the infant tumbled out of the ovum as they giggled. They spotted the others surrounding the prey and bounded towards them gleefully.

<<This one walks already?>>

<<We emerge at about the same development stage as a Mobian toddler. Some of us need time to adjust to being outside the ovum, that's all.>>

The new darkling- marked with magenta- hurried past their two older siblings and immediately went to eat. They stuck their entire face into the prey and emerged with a mouth full of meat.

<<Me too, kid.>>

Eclipse chuckled and stood, inspecting each of the ova for signs of hatching.

<<...You were saying?>>

<<Right,>> Eclipse darted from egg to egg, <<We’ve never even thought about trying to convert another being into one of us, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.>>

Shadow sighed, unsure what to think of that.

<<I mean, you exist. That was supposed to be impossible. A hybrid between our two species? Unfathomable. Who’s to say we couldn’t make him like you?>>

<<Would we even know where to start?>>

<<By studying your biology, we’d gain a better understanding. We’d probably start there.>>

Shadow hummed. He was starting to feel hopeful. Maybe he and Sonic could be together after all.

Two of the ova next to Shadow shifted simultaneously. He moved closer to help them hatch, but these two were as quick as the magenta-marked darkling. A cyan hand burst out of one, shortly followed by the rest of the child as they darted out of the ovum and around the nursery. The other hatchling emerged a bit more slowly, staring curiously at anything that moved. Their crimson markings were similar to Shadow’s, at least in color. They tilted their head as they looked around from their siblings, to the prey, and back to Shadow again.

<<Hello, little one. You must be hungry.>> He guided them towards the prey and watched with joy as they joined their siblings. The cyan darkling had found their way to the prey on their own.

Suddenly, cold fear shot through the hivemind. Shadow stood immediately.

_ No, no- _

<<What? What’s wrong?>> He questioned.

<<This egg…>>

_ Something’s wrong with it. _

Oh Chaos, no.

Shadow darted to where Eclipse stood, frozen in place. He found the egg in question quickly- it appeared deflated, with only a single hole poked through the shell. It certainly appeared as if the darkling inside had started to hatch, but could not finish.

Not knowing what else to do, Shadow cut the shell open himself. He had to see what was wrong. The child inside was...

Asleep. They were asleep.

Relief washed over the hivemind, calming Shadow’s frazzled nerves. He started to laugh.

The child had woken up, poked through their shell, and immediately fallen back asleep.

Eclipse fell to their knees and sobbed into their hands. Shadow hugged them tightly.

<<It’s okay, they’re alive. They’re okay.>>

<<I know. I know. I was so scared. I was so afraid I had done something wrong.>>

<<You were born to care for these children, Eclipse. You’ve done nothing wrong.>> Shadow sent waves of reassurance out to the hivemind; as much as he could muster. Eclipse made a quick recovery and returned Shadow’s hug.

<<Thank you.>> Eclipse broke away from the hug and picked up the sleeping child, taking care not to wake them. They gently brushed the child’s royal blue markings. <<You scared the life out of us, little one! We were so worried.>> They nuzzled the newborn’s forehead lovingly, gently rousing them from their blissfully unaware sleep. Together, they moved back over to where the other children were eating, and Eclipse put the youngest hatchling down.

<<Are you alright?>> Shadow had his hand resting on Eclipse’s back.

<<Yes, I’m okay. Thank you, brother.>> They smiled gratefully back at him.

The two of them settled down once more as the children ate their first meal together. Shadow felt a sense of peace wash over him after the panic had been subdued. He was so glad the children were finally here. He was so proud of Eclipse. He’d finally found his family. He was going to welcome Sonic into it, soon. This was wonderful.

This was so much more than purpose.

This was meaning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading!! This is the first actual multichapter fic I've ever finished, and I'm excited to say that a sequel is in the works!!! It might be a while before I get to start posting it, but I can't wait to share it with y'all!  
> Special thanks to everyone in the comments! Your encouragement kept me inspired to finish writing!


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